AUBURN – Winning has become habit forming for the St. Dom’s girls’ basketball team.

“Team momentum is really important,” St. Dom’s senior forward Kelsey Murphy said. “Win after win, we just want it every game. When we keep getting it, it gets better and better.”

After a 51-36 win over Gould Academy on Monday, the Saints have now won seven straight. That comes after starting the year 2-4.

“We’re in the part of our schedule where we figured we should win a bunch of games,” Saints coach Paul Rheume said. “The kids have really come together. They’re playing well. We’re happy with that. There’s a good team chemistry. They’re all getting along well.”

The Saints didn’t panic with their slow start last month. After losing six players, half of which were starters, St. Dom’s had some holes to fill, especially in the post. It took the Saints a little time to gel, but St. Dom’s appears to be hitting its stride now.

“We’ve really found our momentum,” Murphy said. “We’ve been learning to play together so much better. It’s evident every game out.”

The Saints (9-4) got 17 points and nine rebounds from Allaina Murphy and 12 points and six rebounds from Kelsey Murphy. Mary Lewis added eight points, while Carolyn Joseph chipped in six.

“We’re getting a lot more scoring from different individuals now,” Rheaume said. “Different kids are stepping it up every night. That’s what we’ve been waiting for, to get more scoring out of the other kids.”

St. Dom’s isn’t just getting more offensive balance, it’s playing with more confidence and continuity. Players are contributing throughout the lineup and working together effectively. It’s a stark contrast to the tentative team from last month.

“Everybody has stepped up to their positions, especially some of our younger players,” Murphy said. “They’ve really stepped up to the plate. We have two sophomore starters, and they’re doing a fantastic job. Everyone off the bench really hustles. Everyone’s ready to play.”

The Saints raced out to a 12-7 lead in the opening quarter. With Allaina Murphy on the bench in the first quarter, the Saints still burst out to the quick lead. Kelsey Murphy had six points while Joseph, Gosselin and Mary Lewis also scored.

In the second quarter, the Saints took over. Gould, which got 20 points from Michelle Kravetz, missed its first eight shots and made eight turnovers. The Saints hit seven of its first 10 shots and went 12-for-17 from the floor. Many of their points came off steals and were scored in transition.

“Coach always tells us that defense is the key to winning,” Murphy said. “That’s exactly what happened in the second quarter. We got some steals and our defense proceeded to spark our offense. We like to run off our defense.”

Allaina Murphy scored two quick baskets, and Lewis followed with a steal. Gould got a free throw from Seana Siekman during the 16-1 run, but St. Dom’s answered with 10 straight. Joseph scored off a Kelsey Murphy inbounds pass. Murphy then scored on back-to-back steals, and Lewis added another fast break hoop. Morgan Brown scored on a Lewis feed for a 28-8 lead. The lead grew to 39-13 at halftime, and the Saints continued rolling.

“Everybody’s contributing and that’s what we want,” Rheaume said. “It’s nice to see them coming together as a team.”